Rail-expansion adjuster



V. M. LOKER RAIL EXPANSION. ADJUSTER Y Sept. 29, 1925.-

Filed Feb. 11, y1925 INVENTOR Vichy M.L0Rer -ATronNzY Patented Sept. 29, 1925.

PATENT omer.

VICTOR M5. terrina,v or TRACY, CALIFORNIA.

Y1min15x51A'Nsron ADJUsrER.

application med February 11,l 1,925. seriai N fo. 3,406'.

To all 'idiom t may concern:

Be it 'known' that I, VICTOR LoKnR', a vcitizen ofthe United States of America, residing at Tracy, county of VSan Joaquin', State of California', have' invented certain newY and usef-ul` Improvements in .Rail-EX- pansi-on Adjusters; and I d'0 declare the followingV4 to be a full, clear, and exact descript'ioii` of the same, reference being" had to the accompanying drawings, and to the characters of reference marked thereon, which form a par# ef this' erplsaton'# rlfhis invention 'relates to railway m'ain'- tenance of way equipment, and' particularly' to ak device to bel used in maintaining' thev rails in proper spaced relation to each other at' their' ends.

As all maintenance of way workers know, rails have` a habit of creeping one way or the Qther with kthe expansion byv heat or with the gradualmovement imparted thereto by trains moving thereover; Often therefore the rails must be pushed' one: wayl or the other to' equalize the spaces' between the` ends Of the different rails. The 'rails must als@ be' Spread at times tOi enable' .the insulating members necessary in" connection with Signaling Systems wb@ Placed. there between. l

Up to the .present time, as far as I am aware, theV onlyme'ans available for spreading the rails is a wedge driven between the rail ends by a sledge hammer. Very frequently there is not sufficient space between the ends to start the wedge and the rails must be forcibly shifted in some othersand even more crude way by a gang of section hands.

The principal object of my invention therefore is to provide a device, which may be readily installed and operated by one man by means of which the rails may easily and quickly be either drawn together or parts as will fully appear by a perusal of the following specification and claims.

In the drawings *similarv characters of reference indicate corresponding part-s in th-e i several views:

Fig. l is a top plan view of the implement as applied to the rails, one rail being partly cut away. o

Fig; 2 is an end elevation of the device as in position for operation.4

Referring now more particularly to the characters o'f're'ference on the drawings the numeral l denotes a pair ,of symmetrical and similar blocks arranged in continuous but separated' alinement. rllhese blocks could be solid but are' lcut away intermediate their ends t'o lighten' the same.

A heavy rod or shaft 2- projects lengthwise through both blocks, said shaft being threaded righthand in onev block and left hand in the other, as shown at 3 and 4 refv spectively. l Y

Formed with the blocks' along both sides thereof are plates 5 adapted to abut against the web 6 of the rails between the head 7 and' basel flanges thereof.

Projecting" fromwtlieV plates 5 at right angles thereto are stub pins 9, those on each blockl being spaced' apart a length sol that vided' i-n the websL o'fthe rails for the fish plate bolts.'

The pins 9 on each side of the blocks are of different sizes so as to lit holes 10 of different weights of rails, such holes being smaller in the lighter rails than in the heavier ones.

One end of the shaft 2 is squared off as at 11 so that a lever 12 having a similarly shaped orifice at one end may be removably applied to the shaft to turn the same.

In placing the device on the rails the fish plates at the rail ends to which the implee ment is to be applied are removed, and the spikes of the end plates at the other ends ofthe rails are removed. The blocks l are then separated the necessary distance so that the pins 9 therein are in alinement with the two sets of holes l() in the two rail ends. The blocks are then placed so that the plates 5 abut against the rail webs with the pins 9 projecting through the holes l0. A plate 13 having longitudinal slots 14, one for each pin 9, is then placed over the pins against the opposite face of the webs. lVasher plates 15, one for both pins of each block, are then placed over the respective pairs of pins outwardly of the plate 13. Drift keys 16 are then driven through transverse s-lots 17 cut in the pins 9 so as to maintain the plates 5, webs 6, and plates 13 and l5 in close relationship.

The lever 12 is then-applied to the shaft 2 and it Will be evident that depending on which way `it is turned the block and consequently the rails will be moved one way or the other.

The device is so designed that except for the lever which can be easily and instantly removed when necessary, no part projects above the rail level or alongside the rail heads.

There is therefore no interference with the passage of a train over the track while the device is still applied thereto.

l/Vhen the rails are expanded or drawn together the necessary distance the appliance is of course removed and the fish plates coupled to the rails again.

From the foregoing description it will be readily seen that I have produced such a device as substantially fulfills the objects of the invention as set forth herein.

While this specification sets forth in detail the present and preferred construction of the device, still in practice such deviations from such detail may be resorted to as do not form a departure from the spirit of the invention, as defined by the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and useful and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A rail spacing adjuster comprising a pair of alined and separated members both sides of which are adapted to abut against the webs of rails at adjacent ends thereof, means mounted in connection with said members for moving them to and from each other, and pins projecting laterally from both sides of said members and adapted to pass through the fish-plate bolt-holes in the rai s.

2. A rail spacing adjuster comprising a pair of alined and separated members both sides of which are adapted to abut against the webs of rails at adjacent ends thereof, means mounted in connection with said members for moving them to and from each other, and pins permanently mounted on and projecting laterally from both sides of said members and adapted to pass through the fish-plate bolt-holes in the rails, the pins on one side being a different size from those on the other whereby to enable the device to be applied without change, to rails having different sizes of bolt-hole-s.

3'. A rail spacing adjuster comprising a pair of alined and separated members adapted to abut against the webs of rails at adjacent ends thereof, pins projecting laterally from said members and adapted to pass through the fish-plate bolt-holes inthe rails, means applied to said members for moving the same to and from each other, a plate having longitudinal slots to pass over the pins of both members from the side of the rail opposite to said members, a single washer-plate for the pins of each member adapted to be placed over the pins outwardly of the slotted plate, the pins having transverse slots extending beyond the washer plates, and taper drifts passable through said pin slots.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

VICTOR M. LOKER.

vso 

